Episode 25 (6th March 1961)
Plot Ena refuses to help Emily set out the Mission Hall, using the excuse that she has to look after her grandson, Colin Lomax, for the day. Vera brings the troublesome boy round. After she's gone for her hospital appointment, he wants to explore the contents of the toffee tin but Ena won't let him at it until he tells her everything that her family's been saying about her since they last met. Linda visits Elsie feeling tired and emotional with carrying the baby. Elsie shows her a letter from her solicitor, saying her divorce is coming through, albeit slowly. Elsie tells her that the landlord wants to sell No.9 to her and Ivan, not let it. The news further depresses Linda and, feeling trapped, she throws a swede through Elsie's kitchen window. She breaks down in tears, even more so when Ivan shows her the wallpaper he's bought for the baby's room. Ken asks for more salads and brown bread for their meals for health reasons. His family is dismissive of the suggestion. Frank thinks David is wasting his time playing football but he disagrees. Ivan fixes the window while Linda grumbles on, trying Elsie's patience. When he loses his temper with her complaints, she cries again. Ena bleeds Colin for information on what her relatives say about her. Annoyed at the comments, she tells Colin to go and buy her a will form so she can cut Madge out of the old one. A returning Vera isn't pleased to hear that her son has been blabbing. David borrows Ken's briefcase to show off to the girls at night school. Ken tells him that he and Susan Cunningham are no longer an item. Annie shows off to Martha about the wedding photographers they've booked for Joan's wedding. Feeling he'll have to buy No.9 for Linda, Ivan asks Jack for an evening job in the Rovers. Jack tells him he'll think about it. Ena hasn't heard any more about the demolition news but tells Martha to look on it as read. Also hearing confirmation from another source, Elsie tells Ivan and Linda that means they can't buy No.9. Annie takes possession of an expensive three-tiered cake in preparation for the wedding. Cast Regular cast *Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix *Linda Cheveski - Anne Cunningham *Ivan Cheveski - Ernst Walder *Ida Barlow - Noel Dyson *Frank Barlow - Frank Pemberton *Kenneth Barlow - William Roache *David Barlow - Alan Rothwell *Annie Walker - Doris Speed *Jack Walker - Arthur Leslie *Ena Sharples - Violet Carson *Miss Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire *Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol *Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant Guest cast *Vera Lomax - Ruth Holden *Colin Lomax - David Jones Places *Coronation Street *Rovers Return Inn - Public/Snug *3 Coronation Street - Back room *11 Coronation Street - Back room *Glad Tidings Mission Hall - Vestry *Viaduct Street Notes *Playing Colin Lomax is child actor David Jones, later more famous as Davy Jones, a member of the 1960s pop group "The Monkees". *Ivan Cheveski states to Annie Walker that a pullover he is wearing was sent from Poland by his mother, contradicting the later-established fact that she committed suicide when Ivan was a teenager. *ATV in the Midlands began transmission of the programme from this episode onwards meaning that Coronation Street was now broadcast across the whole of the existing ITV network (although Westward Television initially did not transmit the programme for the first month after its launch on 29th April, 1961). Commensurate with this change regular transmission also changed from Wednesday and Friday to Monday and Wednesday with broadcasts at 7.30pm instead of 7.00pm. This pattern would remain until 20th October 1989 when a third weekly episode was introduced. According to the 23rd February issue of The Stage and Television Today the change in transmission time was brought about, "in response to thousands of requests from viewers, particularly in the London area, who complained they had not had time to have their evening meal and watch Coronation Street." *The camera judders to the left when showing the exterior of 11 Coronation Street and displays the edge of the caption photograph of the house (in reality, probably of Archie Street in Salford). *''TV Times: Every front door hides a story. Behind the front doors in Coronation Street are stories of excitement and joy, pathos and humour ''(This generic synopsis did not appear in all regional editions) *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 5,883,000 homes (9th place - the first episode of the programme to enter the national top ten). *No episode was shown on Wednesday 8th March, 1961 due to a lightning strike by thirty-two electricians at Granada Television belonging to the Electrical Trades Union in support of a pay claim. The strike began at 4.00pm on the 8th and lasted just five hours, during which time viewers in the North of England received programmes from Associated Rediffusion in London and Granada programmes such as Coronation Street were postponed. Notable dialogue Vera Lomax (about Colin Lomax): "He gets me so I could put me 'ead in the gas oven." Episode 025